Almost Convinced
by Gatomon1
Summary: Okay, here's the Epilogue to "Somebody to love," and "Am I the only one," this is, of course, also Kekari! Please read and review!


~*Almost Convinced*~

He pounded his balled up fist into his other hand as he watched her. Her perfection almost seemed to feed evil directly into his soul. Just the knowledge that he could probably never have her for himself made him want to destroy her. By destroying her, he could destroy his longing for her. By destroying her, he could destroy his weakness. The weakness of his feelings.

His eyes followed her every move, looking for _her_weakness. But he could find nothing. _Nothing!_

And then, a smile played around the corners of his lips. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of it before? Her weakness, just like his own, was _her_ feelings. He let out an evil chuckle, and leaned backwards into his chair. It was perfect. The perfect plan.

For a split moment, a fleeting feeling of doubt shadowed his mind, pushing to the surface it's own doubts. Could he really destroy her? Or would he back out at the last moment? He quickly blanked out all thoughts for a few seconds, then once again reveled in the images of no weaknesses…all power… 

Now. How to go about setting up his perfect plan…there were so many ways that he could use her weakness…her feelings…against her, and to his advantage. So many ways…how to decide…

He once again chuckled evilly. So many ways to destroy someone who cared about you…and he continued to watch her…just waiting for the perfect opportunity.

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"Hey…Kari? You okay?" TK asked worriedly, casting a sidelong glance at his friend.

"Yeah! What makes you ask that!?" Kari responded with a bit too much cheerfulness. Inside, however, she felt much differently. _Okay? Me? Yeah, right._ She lifted her left hand up to her face, shielding the sun from her eyes. _I wish it were this bright inside my heart…_she smiled bitterly without realizing it. _Kari! I'm ashamed of you! Wrapping yourself up in your own trouble…just _forget_ about him! You can't just worry about _him. _There are more important things! Like saving the Digiworld._ But this thought only troubled her more. Would she have to destroy him? Would she be able to do it? Or would she back out at the last moment? She knew that it wouldn't be that easy. But Kari was determined to try.

Plastering a bright smile on her face, she turned towards her friends. At the same time, she tried to do the same with her heart.

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"Hello, Kari," a voice lathered with sarcastic kindness spoke from behind her. She knew who it was even before she turned, but she glanced over her shoulder just to be sure. It was Ken.

"Hello, Ken," she replied in the exact same tone of voice. If he was surprised by her response, he didn't show it. "What do you want?" 

"To remind you. Remember…next time…I won't be so generous with your friend's lives. Or with yours. So watch out, Kari. It wouldn't be as fun if I destroyed you too quickly." He turned to leave.

"You're just trying to give me away out." It wasn't a question.

Ken sneered. "Hopeful fool." And then he left.

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"So. We meet again. Just like last time, eh, Kari?" the Digimon Kaiser walked around the unconscious bodies of the other Digidestined until he stood just in front of her. Kari, with Nefertimon standing beside her, ready to attack on a moment's notice, did not move. He had saved her for last. Just like last time. 

"Yes. Just like last time. Unless you kill me, that is. Then it won't be like last time." Kari replied in a cold tone.

Kari's cold tone of voice surprised the Kaiser, though he did not show it. _She's supposed to care about you! That's the only way for the plan to work!_ His more evil side shouted inwardly. A second later, the less evil side of him shouted back, _And you're supposed to care about _her!_ It's obvious in the way you always hesitate to destroy her! The way that she makes you feel…normal!_ His more evil side argued back, _That is why she must be destroyed!_

And so, like this, Ken was inwardly yanked back and forth, back and forth, nearly being torn apart with the indecision. _Yes. You do care about her. It _is_ obvious. You _don't_ take pleasure of torturing her like with the others. You _don't _want to destroy her just to see her fall the ground. You want to destroy her to destroy the feelings that come every time you see her._ As these thoughts ran through his mind, a tidal wave of calmness washed over him.

"You understand that I'm doing this for the Digiworld," Ken took another step towards Kari. "For the power."

"I don't see you doing anything," Kari shot back at him. "What? Can't bring yourself to do it?" she taunted. 

Anger crossed over onto his face. _You have no idea just how close to the truth you are, Kari. Kari._ The mental sound of her name echoed again and again through his mind. _I don't want to do this. But I have to._ At this unwelcome thought, he mentally kicked himself. _You're starting to sound all soft! You are Ken Ichijouji, rightful master of the Digital World!_

Kari could almost see the indecision on his face, and this made her more hopeful. Oh, no that she was too afraid of being destroyed…though she certainly did not fancy the thought…but more hopeful that maybe he felt the same way about her that she did of him.

"I'm waiting," Kari said, tipping her head slightly to the side, as she pushed the situation a little further…just to see what he did. She tapped her foot against the ground.

Ken tried to stall. "While at the same time I am also waiting. You have a Digimon. Why don't you attack? Like I said before…It wouldn't be as fun if I destroyed you right away."

As he spoke these words, Daisuke's eyes fluttered open. One arm flew up into the air, as if trying to reach Kari. But a few seconds later, he fell back to the ground, unconscious once again. And Kari and Ken were once again left alone, with the exception of their Digimon. 

"Fighting should always be the last resort," Kari retorted. "At least, for any _normal_, person should use fighting as a last resort. Anyone with _human_feelings! But then again, you don't _have_ any human feelings!" she could have bit her tongue as she spoke these words, but at the same time, she had another thought. Maybe this could break through to him…

Ken tried not to show how much her words had stung. _No human feelings? Then I guess love isn't a human feeling!_ He had to work hard to keep from shouting this out to her; to keep from saying anything at all. _Why can she get to you like this?_ But he already knew the answer. From the first moment that he had seen her, he had known the answer. She was so perfect. She wasn't evil. She tried to help others. Everything un-like him…but everything that he _could_ be, if he wanted too. At this, thoughts of better times went rushing through his mind, slamming him back and forth. Memories of times before all the hatred…before all the evil…before all the hunger for power. Happiness…everything that he could have if he tried hard enough. But why was he thinking this? He was EVIL! He didn't _need_ happiness!

His thoughts were tearing him apart. He was beginning to get a headache from all the spinning memories. He was at the breaking point.

"Argh!" he fell to his knees as if in pain, his hands flying to his head, as if trying to tear all memories and thoughts from his head. "I don't _need_happiness! I don't _need_ love! I am Ken Ichijouji! I don't _need_anything! _Anything!_ Especially not you!" he raised as shaking finger up to point at Kari. "Why won't the memories leave me _alone?!_ They're tearing me apart!"

He hadn't even realized that he had spoken aloud until he saw Kari's incredulous look. He managed to raise himself to his feet. "I'll destroy you," he hissed. "And all of the feelings that come with you!"

He looked towards the Digimon that stood around him. "I'll do it myself! More pleasure that way!"

"Ken, what's _wrong!? _You've gone…_crazy!"_

"NO! I haven't gone crazy! I've gone _human! _Don't you see!?"

This just shocked Kari even more. "But you _are_human! You are!"

He looked up. "Yes. But always…always…no. That isn't true. Not always. But _almost_ always, I have been evil…powerful…a genius…and it has been enough. But now it isn't!"

He took a step towards her. "No human feelings. No human feelings, you say? Then I guess that the want…the _need_ for happiness, isn't a human feeling. Then I guess _love_ isn't a human feeling. Not if I feel them, anyway, according to you!"

He turned and began to walk away, as he so often did. "I'll let you live. You were right. I can't bring myself to do it. You were right all along. Everything. I _was_ trying to give you a way out. You were right. I _could_ have killed them all. You were always right. I just never realized it. I didn't _want_ to realize it. I didn't…" he shrugged.

But Kari's voice stopped him. "But Ken. You _can_ be happy. You can!"

"And how would that be?" the sneer was back in his voice.

"Just find someone that you want to be with. Someone that you love. And that person can teach you to be happy. And you _can _be happy."

He still hadn't turned, and Kari was almost certain that we would laugh at her. But instead, a few seconds later, he turned around and walked up to her.

"Well." He said. "I hope you're a good teacher. 'Cause I've got a lot to learn about being a normal, un-evil, happy person."

The End.

Did ya like it? I personally think that this is one of my best ones! PLEASE review! I REALLY need to know what you think! And I just _might_ write a sequel…if you guys want me to!

Gatomon_1


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